Chalk Talk: Ted Leonsis on the 5 Traits of Happy People

I had the opportunity to hear Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis speak today at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting. Ted’s talk was about the 5 traits of happy people (at least, that’s my paraphrased title), and – if I understood him correctly – that’s the topic of a new book he just completed. Ted prefaced his list by telling us why this is important:
  • Happy people live longer
  • Happy people are healthier
  • Happy people tend to not get divorced
  • Happy people have better sex lives
  • Happy people are, well, happy!
Ted’s a very successful man, so naturally I wrote down his list of 5 traits (again, paraphrased):
Happy people:
  • Are involved in more than 1 community. What this means is that they have multiple interests and multiple groups where they are involved and where they contribute,
  • Have high levels of personal expression. In other words, they are able to express their feelings, their ideas, etc.,
  • Have high levels of personal empathy (you see this trait in great leaders),
  • Talk less about “I” and talk more about the collective “we.”
  • Have a higher calling in everything they do. They don’t just work for a dollar, they work for a mission. They try to make an impact.
I hope I gave Mr. Leonsis's points justice! At a minimum, it sounds like this would be a good book to pick up when it comes out.

Grow Strong!

Coach Grev

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